“The White House on Monday slammed New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) for criticizing President Obama’s record on criminal justice reform.

Press secretary Josh Earnest called Christie’s claim that Obama does not support police “particularly irresponsible,” suggesting it’s an attempt to “turn around” his struggling presidential campaign.

“They’re not surprising for somebody whose poll numbers are closer to an asterisk than they are double digits,” Earnest said.

The war of words between the White House and Christie comes ahead of the president’s visit to the Garden State to promote his effort to overhaul the criminal justice system.

During an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Christie suggested anti-police sentiment has contributed to an increase in violent crime in some major U.S. cities — and said Obama shares blame for the problem.”